Car-coupling



R. F. LUDLOW. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 519,725. Patented May 15, 1594.`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RODNEY F. LUDLOW, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,725, dated May 15,1894.

Application filed February 3, 1.894. Serial No. 498,993- (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, RODNEY F. LUDLOW, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Springfield, in the con nty of Clark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic car couplers, being ofthat class wherein a pivoted or swinging knuckle is mounted in the headand is held in coupled position by a locking device.

The particular object of my invention is to absolutely insure theautomatic swinging out of the knuckle from coupled position to uncoupledposition, which latter position is such that the knuckle can be properlyengaged by an opposing car when it is desired to couple the two carstogether. With this invention of mine I have so housed and arranged theparts which effect the outward swing of the knuckle that they cannotbecome clogged up with foreign substances, while at the same time, asascertained by actual tests, the knuckle will swing out automatically atup a grade of seventeen hundred and sixty feet to the mile, thirty threeand one-third feet to the hundred or about eighteen and one-halfdegrees. The extreme grades are from ninety to one hundred and ten feetto the mile. Thus with my improvements the knuckle will swing out up agrade far in excess of anything permissible in practical railroadengineering.

In the accompanying drawings on which like reference letters indicatecorresponding parts: Figure 1, represents a plan view of a car couplingembodying my invention; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view on the line21 2 of Fig. 7 5 Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view on the line y y ofFig. 2; Fig. 4, a detail view of the rear of the knuckle; Fig. 5, a sideand plan View respectively of the incline-annulus; Fig. 6, a verticalsectional view on the line :r of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7, a horizontalsection on the line a ct of Fig. 2.

The letter A designates a draw-bar of the ordinary or any approvedconstruction, and the letter B the head thereof, having a lock 'pinaperture C, which at one side inclines somewhat, as seen in Fig. 2,while at the other side and near the top it has a key or lug D whichfits in a groove E of the locking pin F. An inclined shoulder G of thelug and a corresponding shoulder H act to throw the pin, as it is liftedup, from the vertical to the inclined position so that itwillautomatically cant over and catch on the knuckle, or a raised trackI of the knuckle, on which it rests as the knuckle is swung out. Whenthe knuckle reaches the extreme outward position, as shown in Fig. 7,the pin drops down from the track to the knuckle proper and when theknuckle is swung inward the pressure of the track against the pinstraightens up the latter so that when the opening in the knucklereaches the pin the latter will drop into it.

nIn the draw-head is pivoted the knuckle .I on a pivot pin K, which maybe solid or tubular. The pin hole in the lower part of the head isrecessed, as shown at L, and into the recess is dropped down and snuglyfitted an annulus M, the upper end of, which has several, in the presentinstance three, projections O, and the lower end of which is providedwith a suitable number, in the present instance three,inclinedplanesP.-The knuckle has an extension Q fitting the recess L and notched toreceive the several projections O oftheannulus. Thustheannulusandknuckleare interlocked and become one in effect. They are preferably madeseparate to facilitate placing them in the draw-head, and also toprovide a way to renew the inclined planes when worn, without renewingthe whole knuckle. The recess L has lugs R forming inclined planes whichmatch with the planes P of the annulus. Thus it will be seen that aroundthe sides of the pin-hole in the ear of the head are inclined planes.These planes are essentially below the upper surface of the ear. By solocating these inclines P sufficient pitch or steepness can be given tothe inclines to effect the automatic opening of the knuckle on thehighest grades, and yet without increasing the vertical depth of thehead interiorly or exteriorly.

vWhen the knuckle is in locked position, as shown in Figs. l and 6, theplanes of the an- IOO nulus are well up on the planes of the lugs,

and the gravity of the knuckle is constantly tending to run it down theplanes of the lugs.

YVthe effect of the inclined planes.

Thus when the locking pin F is removed the knuckle will automaticallyswing outward by When the annulus has become seated the knuckle hasrotated to the desired outer position ready to be engaged by theprojecting knuckle of another car. Thus this position of the knuckle isautomatically insured; and thus by my construction and arrangement nogrit or water can get into the parts depended upon for this action,while the strength of the mechanism is in no wise impaired and whiletheY intricacy of parts is also'avoided. As before stated, thisinvention has been tested in a practical way and is found to operateupon grades far steeper or greater than any to be met with in practicalrailroading, thus insuring its reliable operation'upon any road, at anyplace, in the mountains as well as on the plains, and on curves as wellas on straight tracks.

While I have spoken of the inclined planes generally as mere inclinedplanes, still the preferred form of these planes, assuggested in Fig. 5particularly, is a spiral form. By this I mean that the inclined planesare spiral in contour as distinguished from forming a straight line. Asthe outer side of the annulus is of greater radius than the inner side,it results that the i entire surface of the plane has a certain twist orspiral form. I have found, practically, that by this construction thetraveling and the fixed inclined planes of this device can be madeperfect counterparts one of therother and thatno matter at what pointthe movable planes may be on the stationary planes, the t between themis snug and smooth. This results in a perfect equality of wear. The sameremarks as to the shape of the inclines apply to those on the lugs inthe pin-hole of the head.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car coupling, the combination with a draw-head having a pin-holeand a lug eX- tending into the hole, of a pin adapted to fit the hole,and having a groove for the lug and a shoulder which strikes the lug,and a knuckle pivoted in the head and having a pin-hole, the lug and ashoulder acting to cant the pin out of line with the hole.

2. In a car coupling, the combination With the head having apin-hol'eand a pin adapted to t the hole, obstructions to cant the pin from thevertical when lifted partly out, and a pivoted knuckle in the headhaving a raised track which acts to throw the piu from the incline tothe vertical as the knuckle swings in, whereby the pin will enter thehole in the knuckle. 'f f 3. In a car coupling, the combination with thehead, ot' a knuckle pivoted therein, an annulus separate from theknuckle and connected with it, and fitting and riding up and down in arecess round the pivot-pin hole of the head, the annulus having one ormore inclined planes, and one or more lugs in the recess formingcorresponding inclined planes, said planes being essentially below thesurface of the head on which travel the planes of said annulus. Y Y Y Y4. In a car coupling, the combination with the head, of a knuckletherein, a pivot-pin extending'through a hole in the head and knuckle,the lower part of the said hole in the head having a recess round it, atraveling annulus round the pin and in said recess, inclined planes onthe lower end of the annulus, and lugs in said recess forming inclinedplanes on their upper surface, the annulus and the knuckle beinginterlocked.

5. In a car coupling, the combination Ywith the head having a pivot-pinhole, and inclined planes about the sides of said hole and essentiallybelow the surface of the Year of the head, of a knuckle pivotallymounted within the head by means of a pin, and an annulus connected withthe knuckle and fitting down within the ear, the annulus having inclinedplanes which ride upon those in the ear.

I n testimony whereof I aix my signature in -presence of two witnesses.

Y RODNEY F. LUDLOW. Witnesses:

OLIVER H. MILLER, W. M. MCNAIR.

